What the heck, let's just call it the Book of MormonAmmaron asks a ten-year-old boy named Mormon to find and dig up the sacred records 14 years from now--The plates were buried at Shim
Hill in the Land of Antum--Mormon is told to add his engravings to the plates of Nephi--Mormon's father carries him to the Land of
Zaramhemla--Many Nephites die in a war against the Lamanites--The Lord takes away his disciples and the Holy Ghost quits coming on
people--Mormon is visited by Jesus and tastes his goodness--God curses the land and shuts Mormon's mouth--The Gadianton robbers return,
the people hide their treasures, and they become slippery--There were sorceries, witchcrafts, and magics just like Abinadi and
Samuel the Lamanite predicted.

1:1
And now I, Mormon, make a record of the things which I have both seen and heard, and
call it the Book of Mormon.

(1:1-5) Call it the Book of Mormon.
In the year 320 CE, the Holy Ghost forced Ammaron to hide the sacred records. (See 4 Nephi 48.) Now Ammaron
asks a ten-year-old boy named Mormon to wait another 14 years and then go to a hill called Shim in the land of Antum and dig up the
records that he buried there. He told Mormon to take the plates of Nephi, but leave the rest there. Then engrave on the plates of Nephi all the
things that you've observed about the Nephites.

1:2 And about the time that Ammaron hid up the records unto the Lord, he came unto me, (I being about ten years of
age, and I began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people) and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive
that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe;

1:3 Therefore, when ye are about twenty and four years old I would that ye should remember the things that ye
have observed concerning this people; and when ye are of that age go to the land Antum, unto a hill which shall be called
Shim; and there have I deposited unto the Lord all the sacred engravings concerning this people.

1:4 And behold, ye shall take the plates of Nephi unto yourself, and the remainder shall ye leave in the place
where they are; and ye shall engrave on the plates of Nephi all the things that ye have observed concerning this people.

1:5 And I, Mormon, being a descendant of Nephi, (and my father's name was Mormon) I remembered the things
which Ammaron commanded me.

1:6And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to
the land of Zarahemla.

(1:6-7) The sand of the sea
When Mormon was eleven, his father carried him to the land of Zarahemla. There, Mormon saw buildings that covered the entire ground, and
people as numerous (almost, as it were) the sand of the sea.

1:7 The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and
the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.

1:8And it came to pass in this year there began to be a war between the Nephites, who consisted of the Nephites
and the Jacobites and the Josephites and the Zoramites; and this war was between the Nephites, and the Lamanites and
the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites.

(1:8-9) The two parties were Nephites and Lamanites
When Mormon arrived in Zarahemla, Zarahemla was in the midst of a war between the Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites versus the
Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. (Mormon will call the former group "Nephites" and the latter group "Lamanites.")

1:9 Now the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites were called Lamanites, and
the two parties were Nephites and Lamanites.

1:10And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla,
by the waters of
Sidon.

(1:10-11) By the waters of Sidon.
The war began by the waters of Sidon, where the Nephites assembled more than 30,000, many of which were killed by the Lamanites.

1:11And it came to pass that the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the
number of thirty thousand. And it came to pass that they did have in this same year a number of battles, in which the
Nephites did beat the Lamanites and did slay many of them.

1:12And it came to pass that the Lamanites withdrew their design, and there was peace settled in the land;
and peace did remain for the space of about four years, that there was no bloodshed.

(1:12-14) The Holy Ghost did not come upon any.
After the battle, there was peace for three years. But there was wickedness throughout the land. It was so bad that the Lord had to take
away his beloved disciples, so there were no more miracles, healings, and gifts of the Lord. The Holy Ghost didn't even come on people anymore!

1:13 But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved
disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.

1:14 And there were no gifts from the Lord, and
the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

1:15 And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind,
therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.

(1:15) Tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus.
So the 15-year-old Mormon, being (somewhat) of a sober mind, was visited by Jesus and tasted the goodness of Jesus.

(1:16-17) My mouth was shut.
Mormon tried to preach to the Nephites, but the Lord shut his mouth, forbidding him to preach to them. God cursed the land and
took away the beloved disciples because of the hardness of their hearts.

1:16 And I did endeavor to preach unto this people, but
my mouth was shut, and I was forbidden that I should
preach unto them; for behold they had wilfully rebelled against their God; and the beloved disciples were taken away out of
the land, because of their iniquity.

1:17 But I did remain among them, but I was forbidden to preach unto them, because of the hardness of their
hearts; and because of the hardness of their hearts the land was cursed for their sake.

1:18 And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the
inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and
they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the
land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again.

(1:18) They became slippery.
The Gadianton robbers infested the land. It got so bad, in fact, that people had to hide their treasures in the earth. They even became
slippery, because the Lord had cursed the earth.

1:19And it came to pass that
there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was
wrought upon all the face of the land, even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the
Lamanite.

(1:19) There were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics.
There were sorceries, witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was all over the land, just like Abinadi and Samuel
the Lamanite predicted.